Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ierapetra

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,399 in Ierapetra, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ierapetra, Greece
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Ierapetra
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,399
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ierapetra

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Ierapetra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,399 in Ierapetra.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Ierapetra $1,399

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,154 in Ierapetra.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Ierapetra $2,154

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,908 in Ierapetra.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Ierapetra $2,908

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 14% less than in Ierapetra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Ierapetra is 3% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Ierapetra
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$201
$16.59 €14.80
-35.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$824
$55.7 €49.70
-21.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$222
$11.23 €10.02
4.99%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$71.2
$3.97 €3.54
-4.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.41
$2.13 €1.90
-38.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.69
$0.57 €0.51
45.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$59.2
$4.44 €3.96
-29.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.9
$4.77 €4.25
3.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Ierapetra
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.51
$1.10 €0.98
28.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.32
$1.10 €0.98
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.71
$3.37 €3.01
-56.38%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.99
$4.60 €4.11
-45.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$137
$16.68 €14.88
-56.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$150
$9.35 €8.34
-14.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$242
$14.62 €13.04
-12.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.5
$2.18 €1.95
33.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$26.03
$2.26 €2.02
-38.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.88
$1.14 €1.01
118.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.20
$1.11 €0.99
82.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.11
$1.09 €0.97
85.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.82
$1.00 €0.89
90.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.54
$1.20 €1.07
-5.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.32
$0.81 €0.72
53.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$80.4
$5.45 €4.87
-21.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$185
$9.09 €8.11
7.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.85
$1.42 €1.27
11.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.7
$1.14 €1.02
141.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Ierapetra
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.69
$1.39 €1.24
-63.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$515
$50.6 €45.13
-45.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.6
$3.84 €3.42
23.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$61.1
$1.00 €0.89
225.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$16.60 €14.80
-67.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.76
$2.11 €1.88
-27.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$399.2K
$27.6K €24.6K
-23.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$437.8K
$24.4K €21.8K
-4.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Ierapetra
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,571
$148 €132
-43.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$436
$18.09 €16.13
28.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$520
$32.88 €29.33
-16.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Ierapetra
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,062
$50.6 €45.10
11.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$531
$19.62 €17.50
43.68%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$94.1
$8.72 €7.77
-42.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Ierapetra
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,897
$474 €423
-56.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$98.4K
$6,699 €5,975
-21.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Ierapetra
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$818
$74.2 €66.2
-41.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$801
$30.59 €27.29
39.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,369
$107 €95.1
-31.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,663
$127 €113
-30.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Ierapetra
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.7K
$497 €443
100.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,197
$382 €341
0.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.5K
$732 €653
128.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.3K
$618 €552
74.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.6K
$2,432 €2,169
60.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$115.5K
$1,922 €1,715
219.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Ierapetra
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.53
152.76%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ierapetra: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Ierapetra
$382 0% $0.1
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Ierapetra
$276 7.4% $19
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Ierapetra
$257 28.1% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Ierapetra
$199 48.1% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Ierapetra
$152 36.7% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Ierapetra
$68 2.3% $1.5
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Ierapetra
$65 28.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $497 in Ierapetra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $56 in Ierapetra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $276 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇷 Ierapetra
🕒 Local time
21:55 9:55 PM
04:55 4:55 AM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
12,355
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.05 MXN (100 MXN = 4.75 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Ierapetra 10,620 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Ierapetra

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Playa del Carmen vs Ierapetra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Ierapetra?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Ierapetra. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Ierapetra?
You’d need roughly $1,804 in Playa del Carmen and $2,099 in Ierapetra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Ierapetra?
Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $497 in Ierapetra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Playa del Carmen compared to Ierapetra?
All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,399 in Ierapetra – Playa del Carmen is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Playa del Carmen compared to Ierapetra?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 46% less than in Ierapetra. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Ierapetra?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?